Jeju Island is emerging as a major hub for international poker tournaments in Asia.
A massive international poker festival with a guaranteed prize pool of 3.88 billion KRW has officially begun at LES A Casino (formerly Landing Casino), a foreigner-only casino located within Jeju Shinhwa World.
According to the Red Dragon Poker Tour (RDPT) and official event announcements on the 29th, the '2026 Jeju Poker Festival' is being held for 15 days from October 28th to November 11th at the LES A Casino in Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju.
This festival is an international tournament co-hosted by RDPT and KPC Poker, featuring a total of 140 events, including 123 official tournaments and 17 satellite qualifiers.
Notably, the guaranteed prize pool for the three main events alone reaches 3.88 billion KRW, drawing significant attention from the Asian poker industry.
The major events include: ▲ KPC Main Event (Oct 28–Nov 1, 880 million KRW guaranteed) ▲ Red Dragon Classic Main Event (Nov 2–5, 1.2 billion KRW guaranteed) ▲ Red Dragon Plus Championship (Nov 6–11, 1.8 billion KRW guaranteed).
The buy-ins for these main events are set at 1.3 million KRW, 2.5 million KRW, and 4 million KRW, respectively. The buy-in is the entry fee participants pay to compete in the tournament.
The guaranteed prize pool represents the minimum amount promised by the organizers, though the actual total prize pool may vary depending on the number of participants and tournament results.
Unlike standard casino games, tournament poker involves participants competing according to set rules, with prizes distributed based on final rankings.
This festival includes various poker formats, including Texas Hold'em, as well as high-roller events with significant entry fees.
According to the official guidelines, participants must present a valid passport upon entering the casino and sign up for a casino membership. Following this, they must complete the registration process, including signing a participation agreement and paying the buy-in.
However, as the event is held in a foreigner-only casino, South Korean citizens are not automatically eligible to participate. Casino access and tournament participation are subject to domestic laws and operational regulations.
This international poker festival highlights new possibilities for the Jeju tourism industry beyond traditional casino operations.
Because international poker tournaments feature multiple consecutive events, they encourage foreign players and staff to stay for extended periods, driving consumption in lodging, food and beverage, shopping, and sightseeing.
In fact, poker media reported that last year's Jeju Poker Festival attracted players from 38 countries and featured 87 tournaments over 12 days.
This year, the festival duration has been extended to 15 days, and the number of official tournaments has increased to 123.
Prior to this event, Jeju hosted a series of international poker tournaments this year, including the RDPT Plus Summer Championship in July and the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Jeju from September 25th to October 7th.
Notably, the APT Jeju was also held at LES A Casino, demonstrating that Jeju is establishing itself as a regular destination for international poker circuits.
Competition to host international poker tournaments is not limited to Jeju.
The 'Super Cup 7 Incheon' took place at Paradise City in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, from October 8th to 18th. The event featured 41 tournaments with a total guaranteed prize pool of 1.35 billion KRW.
Additionally, the 'WPT Seoul 2026' international poker tournament is scheduled to take place at the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon from October 30th to November 9th.
The trend of domestic foreigner-only casinos and integrated resorts hosting international poker tournaments aligns with efforts to move beyond casino-centric business models and create diverse, stay-based tourism demand.
In Asian casino markets like Macau, the Philippines, and Vietnam, poker tournaments are already being utilized as key tourism content to attract international visitors.
However, experts point out that a concrete analysis of participant numbers, length of stay, and spending is necessary to determine the actual impact of these international events on tourism and the local economy.
Attention is focused on whether international poker tournaments utilizing casino facilities can develop into a new growth engine for the tourism industries in Jeju and Incheon.
